Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1032800
W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 33 O C T O B E R 1 , 2 0 1 8 ainebiz: You hear a lot about family businesses in Maine, but not as frequently about sib- ling business owners, particularly brother-sister partnerships. How did your partnership come about? Ben Davis: Em and I were doing different things until we came together to take care of our dad, who had become very sick. It was that extremely hard time in our lives that we realized our opposite skill sets could be a real asset in business. It took a while but we've seen the bene- fits of those opposing strengths. We're having a blast, and are excited to bring even more family into the mix as we grow. We hope to build opportunities that last generations. MB: How did the idea for True Course Yachting take shape? BD: True Course came from a lifetime on the water. Our family was a huge influence and the need for quality concierge-type hospitality services was clear. MB: How did working with yachts and boat owners segue into the por- table storage-container business? BD: While True Course is a high- touch service business, we were interested in adding a more scalable venture that still had customer inter- action in a space where we could infuse our hospitality mindset. e portable storage business in Maine is exactly the opportunity. MB: What are some of the retail/ pop-up applications for the storage containers? BD: e applications are endless. But we have focused our attention on B2B commercial spaces. Some use cases we are working with currently are major retailers, coffee shops and food service franchises. e portability and quality of build are attracting major brands and we're just out of the gate. We're excited to see which application takes off. MB: What's next for you two? BD: We are focused on becoming a household name for storage in Maine. Supporting the True Course team on the water. Introducing the world to OpBox. Peter Van Allen, Mainebiz editor, can be reached at pvanallen @ mainebiz.biz contact us today to fuel productivity at your business! productivity with onsite gourmet coffee, tea and water service (207) 945-5688 1-800-432-7919 cascobayfb.com Full setup, management, and maintenance Wide range of beverage kiosks to choose from Promote a positive work environment and sense of community Maine lawyers. Maine clients. Maine values. Por tland / Kennebunk • 207-775-7271 • 1-800-756-1166 • jbgh.com At Jensen Baird, our commitment is to you. We know what our clients need, because we know Maine. Our lawyers understand the unique challenges of living and doing business here. We aren't part of a huge national firm, we're part of the community. And we've been that way for over 60 years. Portland Container Co. 93 Lincoln St., South Portland Founded: 2011 What the compnay does: Storage solutions, retail pop-ups, hospitality management services Contact: 207-841-5595 www.portlandcontainerco.com www.theopbox.com Ben and Emily Davis, brother and sister business owners, have started businesses that take them from land to water, from highly specialized concierge services to "scalable" storage solutions. True Course Yachting offers a variety of services to boat owners. Portland Container Co. provides storage for yachts, cars and other goods, as well as on-site storage containers. Their latest venture has been the OpBox, which converts a portable storage container to a retail pop-up, hospitality location, office or trade-show booth. We realized our opposite skill sets could be a real asset in business. — Ben Davis